Container filling apparatus



G. E. LEONARD 3,545,170

CONTAINER FILLING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 26, 1967 IN VEN TOR GEORGE E. LEONA RD BYWWQM A TT'YS.

United States Patent 3,545,170 CONTAINER FILLING APPARATUS George E. Leonard, Davenport, Iowa, assignor to The Kartridg Pak (10., Davenport, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Filed Dec. 26, 1967, Ser; No. 693,229 Int. Cl. B65b 31/02 US. Cl. 53-88 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for filling aerosol containers with a predetermined quantity of a propellant-forming material under pressure which is characterized by a filling head having a sealing bell which houses mechanism for lifting a closure cap and valve assembly while propellant under pressure is fed into the container through the bell from a propellant supply line connected thereto and the bell is provided with an exhaust line having a hydraulically controlled valve for opening the line when the closure cap is crimp sealed to close the container so as to enable the propellant left in the bell to boil off into the exhaust line through which it is carried to a chiller tank where it is converted from a gas to a liquid and thereafter pumped under high pressure through a connecting line to the propellant supply line.

The present invention relates to packaging and is more particularly concerned with improvements in apparatus for incorporation in a machine for filling successive aerosol-type containers with predetermined amounts of propellant forming material.

In the packaging of aerosol products machinery has heretofore been developed for filling predetermined quantities of propellant forming material into the aerosol containers which includes mechanism for lifting the closure and valve assembly while the propellant is metered into the container and thereafter closing the container by crimp sealing the cap forming closure member to the mouth of the container. One form of apparatus for use in filling this type container with a propellant material under pressure is illustrated and described in Stanley and Rousseau Pat. No. 2,963,834 dated Dec. 13, 1960 which employs a filling head mounted on a work table and a pump connected with a propellant supply tank, which is operative to force the propellant, under predetermined pressure, through suitable conduits to the chamber formed in the sealing bell on the filling head and into the container. In apparatus of this type, a small amount of the propellant remains in the sealing bell of the filling head when the closure cap with its associated valve assembly is crimp sealed to the mouth of the container to close the latter prior to withdrawal of the container from the sealing head. This small amount of propellant, is of course, lost or wasted when the container is separated from the head unless some provision is made for exhausting the same from the sealing bell after the container is closed and prior to separation of the container from the sealing bell. While this loss of the propellant is relatively small for each filling operation, the accumulated loss in a machine of high capacity is substantial, and some efforts have been made to provide for a satisfactory recovery of this material before the separation of the container from the head during a filling operation. One arrangement employed for recovery of this material which has been used with some success is referred to in Pat. No. 2,963,834. This and other proposed arrangements have not been entirely satisfactory. It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus 3,545,170 Patented Dec. 8, 1970 for recovery of this material which has advantages over prior apparatus employed or proposed for this purpose.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an improved machine for filling aerosol containers with a propellant material under pressure wherein provision is made for the escape from the sealing bell of the filling head of the propellant material which remains in the bell when the container is closed by sealing the closure cap on the mouth thereof and for return of this material in an uncontaminated and pressurized condition to the high pressure line through which the propellant material is initially fed to the filling head.

It is a still more specific object of the invention to provide an improved filling machine for aerosol containers wherein a propellant forming material under pressure is fed through a sealing bell into the mouth of the container while the closure cap and associated valve assembly is raised out of the container mouth and wherein a propellant recovery arrangement is provided which comprises a line connected to the bell with a valve and an opening means therefor which operates to open the valve and place the line in communication with the interior of the bell when the cap is sealed on the container so as to allow the propellant remaining in the bell to expand into the open line and be carried thereby to a condenser where it is converted from a gas to a liquid and delivered to a pump connected with the propellant supply line for return to the latter and use in a subsequent filling operation.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the filling apparatus which is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawing wherein.

FIG. 1 is an elevational view, largely schematic, of a machine for filling aerosol containers which incorporates therein apparatus illustrating the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section through the container filling and closing head of the filling machine of FIG. 1 with parts in elevation; and

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings the present invention is illustrated as incorporated in an apparatus for filling and sealing aerosol containers or receptacles which apparatus is described in Stanley and Rousseau, Pat. No. 3,157,974 dated Nov. 24, 1964. The present system is also adapted to be incorporated in other filling and sealing machines such as described in Stanley and Rousseau Pats. Nos. 2,963,834 and 3,180,470 and Stanley and Brinkley Pat. No. 3,152,429 all of which machines employ a filling head which is characterized by a cylindrical housing with a bell forming bottom end which is adapted to be seated in sealed relation on the top of the aerosol container while mechanism within the housing is operated to exhaust the air within the container, to lift the closure cap and valve assembly above the top opening in the container, to fill the container with the desired amount of propellant under pressure while the cap and valve assembly is raised and finally to crimp seal the closure cap within the top opening so as to close the container.

In describing the illustrated apparatus only that portion of the machine shown in Pat. No. 3,157,974 is referred to which appears necessary for an understanding of the present invention, and resort may be had to the disclosure in the patent for other details not hereinafter described.

In FIG. 1 of the drawing there is illustrated a rotary or turrent type filling machine having a filling head 10 disposed at a filling and closing station and engaging the top of an areosol container 12 which is carried on a supporting table or turret plate 14 mounted on an upright base frame and rotatable about a vertical axis at the center of the mahcine. A propellant metering device 16 is supported on an upright post assembly 17 and connects for propellant discharge through conduit 18 with the crimping head 10. A propellant supply line 20 is connected by conduit 21 with the metering device 16.

Referring to FIG. 2 the aerosol container 12, which is adapted to be filled with propellant, has an open mouth 22 bordered by a rolled rim 23. A closure cap 24 having a peripheral lip 25 which is shaped to partially encircle the rolled rim 23 supports a valve assembly 26 in a well 27 which extends partially into the mouth 22 of the container 12 when the cap 24 is seated therein to close the container.

The crimper head 10 is mounted on a reciprocating post assembly 28, the vertical reciprocation of which is controlled by cam track 30 on the base 15. The head unit 10 comprises a main cylinder sleeve 31 with an upper cylinder end casting 32 and a lower cylinder sleeve extension 33 connected in threaded relation in the top and bottom ends thereof which is mounted in sliding relation in the bracket 34 extending from post 28 with a suitable interposed bearing bushing 35.

Preload springs 36 telescope over a set of upright guide posts 37 fixed in the bracket 34 and are housed in retainer shells 38, the upper end of each spring 36 abutting against the upper end of the associated guide post and the bottom end thereof being seated against a common preload ring 40 that abuts against the upper end of the main cylinder sleeve 31. A lock ring 41 holds the cylinder against dropping out of the mounting bracket 34.

A free sliding piston 42 is disposed within the sleeve 31 for actuation by hydraulic pressure from a supply line 43 which is connected through a central lengthwise bore 44 in casting 32.'A depending skirt 45 on the piston 42 forms a guide pocket for a plunger assembly which is axially slidable in the head and which includes a main plunger element 46, a headed thrust sleeve 47 encircling the upper end of element 46, a carrier ring 48 seated in sealing relation within an annular pocket at the upper end of sleeve extension 33, and a plunger return spring 50 encircling the plunger and reacting between the thrust sleeve 47 and the carrier ring 48. A segmental collect 52 is confined within the sleeve extension 33 in encircling relation to the lower end of plunger 46, with jaws 53 which are engageable with the inside wall of the closure cap 24 and upon downward movement of the plunger 46 are spread outwardly to crimp the closure cap into sealed relation about the mouth of the container 12.

A container locating bell 55 mounted for sliding movement on the exterior of main sleeve 31 and sleeve extension 33 has a set of stop screws 56 at its upper end which are engageable with an annular abutment shoulder 57 on sleeve extension 33 for holding the bell on the crimper head and a set of coil openings 58, seated in pockets 59 in the upper end of the bell 55' react against the mounting bracket 34 to urge the bell downwardly relative to the main cylinder sleeve 31. When the head is freely suspended stop screws '56 engage shoulder 57 and the springs 58 hold the lower end of the bell 55 substantially below the collet 52. The bell 55 has an annular internal pocket fitted with an assemblage of annular sealing ring elements that seat against a central shell or annulus 60 which has radial bore 61 registering with radial bore 62 in the bell 55 and forming a passage for vacuum through connection with the vacuum line 63. A cap ring 64 is threaded into the bell to compress the seal rings 65. The vacuum port 61 is adapted to open into a series of radial ports or bores 66 provided in the sleeve 33 for establishing communication with the lower end of the head through clearance spaces between the collet 52 and sleeve 33. An internal bore 67 adjacent the lower end of the bell 55 forms an entrance passage for the propellant transmission line 18 which has a connection 68 with the bell which includes a check valve 70 normally held closed by spring 71 and opening upon the build up of predetermined pressure in the line 18 for accurate metering of the propellant. The bell 55 is fitted at its lower end with an internally contoured container engaging adapter ring 72 threaded within the bell so as to mount an internal seal ring gasket 73 for sealing engagement with the upper end of the container 12 when the bell 55 is lowered onto the container. A stop sleeve 74 is threaded within the lower end of extension sleeve 33 and a seal ring 75 is mounted between 33 and 74, the former being adapted to seat against the top of the closure cap rim and the latter adapted to engage about the outer periphery of the cap rim to block entry of propellant into the collet and piston region.

In addition to the port 67 which is provided for entry of propellant into the bell 55, an exhaust port 76 is provided for connection with line 77 which has a hydraulically controlled valve 78 for opening and closing the exhaust line 77 so as to enable propellant under pressure in the bell to boil out into the line 77 as a vapor and empty the bell. The exhaust line 77 extends through the machine to a chiller tank 80 (FIG. 1) where the propellant is converted from a gas to a liquid. The line 77 is held at a low positive pressure by controlling the refrigeration unit which is associated with the chiller tank 80 and which includes condenser 81 and compressor 82. The liquid propellant flows by gravity from the chiller tank 80 through line 83 to refrigerant pump 84 which pumps the liquid through the line 85 to the propellant supply or intake line 20 for the filling machine.

In the operation of the system or apparatus the head 10 is seated on the top of the container 12 for the filling operation or cycle with the vacuum ports in registry for evacuation or purging of air in the container 12. Thereafter the cap and valve assembly is lifted, sealing off the chamber in the bell and permitting entry of the propellant through port 67 and into the container. When the metered quantity of propellant has been fed through the port 67 and the line 18 is closed by valve 70 the head is operated to lower the cap and valve assembly onto the mouth of the container 12 so as to close the container and thereafter to crimp seal the cap while it is in container closing position. During the crimp sealing operation or cycle the hydraulic valve 78 is operated to open the line 77 and permit the high pressure propellant remaining in the bell chamber to escape by boiling off through the low pressure line 77. This propellant in vapor form is conducted to the chiller tank 80 where it is converted to a liquid and the liquid is transmitted through line 83 to pump 84 which brings it up to the proper pressure for adding it to the propellant in the supply line 20 through the connecting conduit 85.

Whilespecific materials and particular structural details are referred to in describing the illustrated apparatus it will be understood that equivalent materials and structural arrangements may be resorted to within the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a machine for filling aerosol-type containers with a pressurized propellant material wherein a filling head is provided with a chamber forming bell which is adapted to receive the top of the container so as to encompass the mouth of the container and seal against the top wall of the latter, said bell defining a chamber in which there is means to engage a container closure and valve assembly which is loosely positioned in the container mouth and to crimp seal the closure member thereon, a supply line connected to said bell for delivering propellant under pressure into the chamber in said bell and into the container in the amount desired for filling the container, means to operate said crimp sealing means so as to seal the closure onto the container mouth when the container is filled with the pressurized propellant, a low positive pressure exhaust line connected to said bell and having a valve to open and close said line, means to open said valve so as to enable the liquid propellant which remains in the bell when the container closure is sealed to vaporize and flow out of the bell through said line and means connected to said low pressure exhaust line for converting the vaporized propellant to its original pressurized condition and means for delivering the pressurized liquid to said propellant supply line, said means for converting the vaporized propellant being upstream of the means for delivering the pressurized liquid to the propellant supply line.

2. In a machine for filling containers with a pressurized material in a liquid state wherein a filling head is provided with a compartment forming bell which is adapted to engage the container so as to encompass the mouth of the container and seal around the same, said bell having associated means operative to position a closure on the container mouth and to seal the closure thereon, a supply line connected to said machine for feeding said material in a liquid state to said machine for delivery into said bell and including a means which is operated to shut oil the delivery of the material when a quantity of the material has been fed into the bell, said sealing means being operated to seal the closure onto the container mouth While there is pressurized material in the bell, an exhaust line connected to said bell and having a positive pressure sufliciently low to permit the liquid material remaining in the bell to vaporize and boil off into said exhaust line, a valve control means operative to open said exhaust line so as to enable pressurized material in the bell to vaporize and flow out of the bell into said exhaust line, means connected to said exhaust line for restoring the vaporized material to its original pressurized liquid condition and means for delivering the pressurized liquid to said material supply line, said means for restoring the material to its original condition being upstream of the means for delivering the same to said supply line.

3. In a machine for filling containers as set forth in claim 2 and said means for restoring the vaporized material to its original condition comprising a chiller tank into which the vaporized material is conducted and a refrigeration apparatus associated with said chiller tank.

4. In a machine for filling containers as set forth in claim 2 and said means for restoring the vaporized material to its original condition comprising apparatus for condensing and compressing the vaporized material and a pressure pump for delivering the material to said supply line.

5. In a machine for filling containers with a pressurized material and sealing a closure in the mouth of the container wherein a filling head is provided with a. compartment forming bell which is adapted to receive the top of a container having a closure member loosely positioned in the mouth thereof and to encompass the mouth of the container and seal against the top wall of the latter, said bell having mounted therein means to position the closure member in the container mouth and to crimp seal the same thereon, a supply line connected to said bell for delivering the pressurized material into said bell and including a cut-01f valve which is operated to shut off the flow of the material when a quantity thereof has been fed into the bell, said crimp sealing means being operated to seal the closure member onto the container mouth While the bell is filled with the pressurized material, a low pressure line connected to said bell and having a positive pressure sufliciently low to permit the material remaining in the bell to boil ofi into said low pressure line, a valve to open and close said low pressure line, means to open said valve while said crimp sealing means is operated so as to enable the pressurized material remaining in the bell to vaporize and flow out of the bell and into the low pressure line, means connected to said low pressure line for restoring the material to its original pressurized liquid condition, and means for returning the pressurized liquid directly to the supply line.

6. In a machine for filling containers as set forth in claim 5, and said means for restoring the material to its original condition and returning it to the supply line Comprising a condenser and a compressor having a connection with the supply line.

7. In a machine for filling containers as set forth in claim 5 and said means to open the valve in the low pressure line being operated to open said low pressure line in timed relation to the operation of said crimp sealing means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,963,834 12/1960 Stanley et al. 5388X 3 7.974 11/1964 Stanley et al. 53-88 TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner U.S. C1.X.R. 

